Today is knitalong day. As I mentioned in my last post, I’ve been distracted. I keep thinking about lovely lace things. After seeing Stephanie’s beautiful shawl, I bought some books. I dug out others I already had. I perused blogs through Google, looking for lace, and happened upon a link that is singing the siren’s song.

It’s beautiful. I love the yarn it’s made out of, and despite the fact that ordering an expensive pattern from England seems kind of ridiculous to me, I’m probably going to anyway. Along with this one, while I’m at it.

The reason I hesitate is that yesterday, registration for the Madrona Fiber Arts Retreat opened, and I signed up for a couple spinning classes, the Hand Embellishment class taught by Fiona Ellis, and the banquet. I’m really excited about it. It was really, really expensive. Dropping another $30 plus international shipping on patterns right now seems very ungrateful to my sweet husband who funds my fiber hobby.

And then there’s the yarn I discovered last night.

Last night, I went to a spinning group at what is rapidly becoming my new favorite yarn store. (Mainly because it is the only store on the Eastside that has actually had what I needed when I went there). And because Kim and Ellen work there, and they’re really, really cool.

I had a great time. I met some neat ladies. I found out about a fiber guild meeting next week that will be hosting their annual sale.

I saw Debbie Bliss Pure Silk for the first time and could barely put it down. It’s the most fantabulous feeling stuff I think I’ve ever touched. I want to make a scarf with a couple skeins of it so I can have it against my skin at all times. But again, I’m going to wait for a little bit. I’ve been an expensive wife this week.

Knitalong day. What have you got? I have a jellyfish. (Metaphor courtesy of Hayden’s clever wit).

I’m confident at this point that I’ve spent more time ripping and repairing mistakes than I have actually spent knitting on it. But it’s kind of cool.

I’ve been putting off the argyle. I have. I wasn’t sure how to proceed, what to do, etc. To be honest, I knew I was going to have to take it to colored pencils and paper, but I was in denial. I didn’t want to spend the time.

I had previously written out which colors were going to which stocking, intentionally mixing all 8 of the colors up over the 2 stockings to blend the color scheme together, with 2 colors overlapping. But finally realized that wasn’t going to be enough and did some sketching.

The first stocking just wasn’t looking right, so I sketched again, leaving the yellow cuff I’d already knit to Clark’s upcoming stocking of stripes.

Much better.

This is not very fun to knit. It’d be much better if I were knitting it flat. I don’t know why I’m being so stubborn on that. I’m hoping as I get more done, it’ll feel less messy. To motivate myself, I organized and put away the pile of books, magazines, and distracting yarns in the corner of my living room so I wouldn’t be tempted to look at lace shawl patterns or koigu sock possibilities instead of biting the bullet and getting the stockings knit. We’re well into November now. Christmas looms, and my attention is wandering.

I had a relatively good week. I made it through Halloween eating no sugar, and it wasn’t difficult. In fact, the only sugar I ate was in the evening on Nate’s birthday, and then some on Saturday and Sunday. But those days were pre-selected for eating whatever, and now I’m off of it until Thanksgiving.

This week, I hope to get some exercise in. The problem is, my spinning wheel has been calling to me, so I hauled it upstairs and have been playing around on it. (Wanna see something pretty?. Ooooooh, ahhhhh). That in combination with the stockings I need to make, and the leg warmers I want to make, plus the fingerless gloves promised to Olivia, and possibly some more for Mary with the hypothermic fingers…..

There isn’t a lot of extra time floating around here. But I’m thinking about how to fit it all in. And today I’m back to laundry.

How was your week? Is anyone going off of sugar with me?

Yesterday was Nate’s birthday. We went to lunch and saw a matinee of The Prestige, which Nate has been anxious to see ever since he read the book some time ago. He enjoyed the movie. I found it horrific and disturbing, though the two main actors were fantastic to watch, as they usually are.

Then last night, we had a nice social gathering of family and a few friends.

Halloween was great. I spent a couple hours at the school helping out, and Nate took the girls around to the neighbors’ houses at night. It wasn’t as difficult a day as I’d expected, and I was surprised at how little candy they ended up consuming. We’re going to let them have their gorge-fest this weekend and then the candy will “mysteriously disappear”.

There’s my catch-up for the week. Now, it’s knitalong day.

Michelle has finished a nice stocking, go have a look.

Anyone else have anything?

I sort of started swatching argyle, and it’s hideous. I didn’t have a color plan, so I jumped in with both feet and started something.

Something really ugly. But the main purpose of my swatch is to get more of an idea of what I want to do, and to give me yarn lengths for my diamonds so I know exactly how much yarn to put on each bobbin, or to just leave hanging.

What I haven’t practiced is this argyle-in-the-round nonsense I somehow want to accomplish. We’ll see how it goes. All I can say is I’m dying for some real knitting time.